"You've come to me for cooperation, it must be to deal with Muzan," Tamayo said, looking at Shimizu.
"That's right, now is the best chance to defeat Muzan, and we need Miss Tamayo's assistance to increase our chances of winning as much as possible," Shimizu replied to Tamayo.
But Tamayo shook her head.
"No, the best chance to defeat Muzan was actually four hundred years ago. I was there at the time, but unfortunately, it ultimately fell short."
"Is that the era of the first swordsman? According to the records of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Pillars of that generation almost completely annihilated Muzan's Twelve Kizuki, terrifying Muzan so much that he stayed indoors for decades. It was the greatest victory against demons in human history," Amane's eyes lit up as she asked.
"Yes, among the swordsmen of that generation, there was an ancestral swordsman who created the breathing technique, named Yoriichi Tsugikuni. He was the strongest Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps for centuries. Most of the Upper Rank demons at that time died at his hands, and he severely injured Muzan, almost killing him. It was also at that time that I broke free from Muzan's control. Unfortunately, Muzan has the ability to split himself, and he eventually escaped."
Tamayo sighed, recalling the scene from four hundred years ago, and continued:
"I have been studying demon blood for hundreds of years, and from Muzan's blood, I have developed a poison that prevents him from splitting. However, it can only be effective once. If you fail to kill him, then after Muzan breaks down the poison, his abilities will allow him to evolve resistance to it. If you want to defeat Muzan, you must make me believe that you have the same ability as that swordsman from four hundred years ago, the ability to kill Muzan."
Shimizu said:
"Miss Tamayo, how would you like to test us? Forgive me for being blunt, but while your abilities are not bad, you two..."
Shimizu shook his head slightly.
Both of their abilities are inclined towards illusion. Although their physical qualities are quite good among demons, they are not enough to compare with the Twelve Kizuki.
In his hands, they probably couldn't withstand a single strike.
Tamayo frowned slightly, also feeling somewhat troubled.
Yushiro couldn't help but speak out:
"Hey! Just because you're the head of the Demon Slayer Corps doesn't mean you can speak rudely to Miss Tamayo! I'm warning you, if you dare to again..."
"Alright, Yushiro," Tamayo gently pressed on Yushiro's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, this child Yushiro just has this kind of personality."
As soon as Tamayo touched him, Yushiro's face turned red, his eyes glazed over, and he seemed to float lightly.
"Hehe he... Miss Tamayo... so gentle... so beautiful..."
Yushiro could barely hide the infatuated expression on his face.
"However, I think the key to proving your abilities lies with you, not with us," Tamayo added.
"Yes, yes, yes! Miss Tamayo is right!" Yushiro nodded repeatedly.
"Ahem."
Shimizu tactically coughed, turning his gaze to Murata.
Boasting would seem unrealistic.
Now, it was time for his subordinate to step up.
Murata immediately understood, stood up, placed one hand on his chest, bent his waist, and pointed at Shimizu with one finger.
"Miss Tamayo, I think I should reintroduce Lord Uesugi to you."
"At the age of sixteen, he defeated a demon with his bare hands without mastering any breathing techniques."
"He mastered a breathing technique after seeing it only twice, and mastered the Constant Concentration Breathing technique in two months, possessing the strength of a Kinoe ranked swordsman."
Shimizu touched his nose, pretending to be embarrassed.
His skin was actually quite thick, but he still had to feign modesty at this time.
Tamayo's gaze towards Shimizu immediately changed.
"You killed two Upper Moon demons? And in one night?"
Shimizu nodded, then drew his Nichirin Blade.
"Miss Tamayo!"
Yushiro immediately spread his arms in front of Tamayo, looking wary.
Without a single mistake, one hand, one hair, one content, all in one look!
Shimizu slashed the sword into the sky, splitting out a magnificent sword energy, then twirled the sword and placed the Nichirin Blade in front of him.
"Miss Tamayo, you should have seen a Nichirin Blade like this."
Tamayo looked at the crimson blade, moved her lotus steps lightly, and reached out to touch the sharp edge.
"No! Miss Tamayo's jade body! How can it be harmed by this broken sword!" Yushiro bit his finger, looking at Tamayo's finger with a pained expression.
A drop of blood flowed out, Tamayo wiped it away, looked at the slowly healing wound on her finger, and nodded.
"Like the person I saw four hundred years ago, your wrist strength is strong enough to raise the temperature of the blade, slowing down the healing speed of demons' wounds. And your perception, which can detect us through Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, I now believe that you have the ability to rival the first swordsman and kill Upper Moons. In fact, you are the closest person I have ever seen to him."
Tamayo put away her finger and took a deep look at Shimizu.
"But it's still not enough. I have personally witnessed the power of Muzan and Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Although you are very strong, there is still a gap between you and them, a not small gap."
In her opinion, no matter how strong Shimizu was, he was probably on the same level as those swordsmen who opened the three marks during the era of the first swordsman, not to mention that Shimizu did not have a mark.
They were certainly strong, but definitely not stronger than Muzan.
Kokushibo had also opened the three marks before becoming a demon, but there was still a huge gap between him and Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It is said that Tanjiro in the later stages of the original timeline had the three marks, mastered the complete Sun Breathing, and obtained the Yoriichi experience card, but if he did not have the assistance of the other Pillars, it would have been difficult for him to withstand Muzan and delay until dawn.
And Muzan at that time had been greatly weakened by Tamayo and Shinobu Kocho's poison, which shows that the full-state Muzan was stronger than Tanjiro at that time.
But even the full-strength Muzan was almost instantly killed by Yoriichi, who decapitated him with one strike, scaring Muzan into splitting into more than 1,800 pieces, and then in an instant, cut those more than 1,800 pieces to only over 300 pieces. Until hundreds of years later, those wounds were still on Muzan's body, assisting Tanjiro.
"This is not all of me, and I am not all of the Demon Slayer Corps," Shimizu said to Tamayo.
"There are now two other people in the Demon Slayer Corps who can directly wield the Crimson Blade like me. They and some of the Pillars have also mastered the perception method I just used. There are also two swordsmen who have inherited Yoriichi Tsugikuni's breathing technique.
In addition, I have invented a way to allow ordinary swordsmen to turn their Nichirin Blades into Crimson Blades, and created electric lights that can emit light close to sunlight, turning them into weapons.
Is that enough?"
